Hampton, NH

Hampton, New Hampshire was part of a 2025 Granite State SolSmart cohort, working with Clean Energy New Hampshire and other local governments across the state to remove barriers to solar energy, streamline processes, and cut red tape. Hampton earned SolSmart Silver by updating zoning to address technologies such as ground-mounted solar, posted resources about solar for the public, trained municipal staff in best practices, and more!

• Posted online resources about residential and commercial solar PV financing options and incentives.
• Posted online resources about consumer protection and solar PV.
• Posted a solar landing page on local government’s website with information that may include the community’s solar goals, educational materials and tools that promote solar
• IA-1: Took an innovative action to make going solar easier and more affordable for residents and/or businesses that was not captured in any of the criteria already in the program.
• Provided residents with Community Choice Aggregation/Energy that includes solar PV as a power generation source.
• Posted an online checklist detailing the required permit(s), submittals, and steps of the community’s permitting process for residential rooftop solar PV.
• Provided an online process for solar PV permit submission and approval.
• Demonstrated that residential permit fees for solar PV are $500 or less.
• Demonstrated that current model code (IRC, IBC, and NEC ) cycle is implemented in the community for solar and solar plus storage (codes must be the most recent editions (or penultimate edition)).
• Trained permitting staff on best practices for permitting solar PV and/or solar and storage systems.
• Trained inspection staff on best practices for inspecting solar PV and/or solar and storage systems.
• Reviewed zoning requirements and identify restrictions that intentionally or unintentionally prohibit solar PV development.
• Trained planning and zoning staff on best practices in planning and zoning for solar PV. Training must have occurred in the past two years.
• Ensured the zoning ordinance permits small ground-mounted solar PV as an accessory use in at least one zoning district.
• Posted an online document from the Planning/Zoning Department that states accessory use solar PV is allowed by-right in all major zones. (e.g. via a zoning determination letter)